Chapter 41

After cruising around the city for a minute, I told Swol to swing back around my old neighborhood. I wanted to drop off some cash to Wee-Wee’s son. I usually did this once a month just to show Lil Wee how to be loyal to his peeps on lockdown.

When Swol pulled up on the block around First and U Streets, I noticed a lot of police activity in the area. I glanced over at the crack house that I had run up in to crush Twan’s rat ass. I looked back and noticed Nu-Nu looking at the house with a strange look on his face.

“You remember that joint, Slim?” I asked him from the front seat.

“Do I? I’m just glad I got up outta that bitch when I did. You was a man on a mission,” he said in a joking tone.

“I wonder why all the Feds ‘round here?” I remarked as Swol kept on driving. I told him to hook a left on First Street to hit the corner store.

Once he pulled up and made a right on Rhode Island Avenue, I spotted Rico, Damian, Leo, and Lil Wee chilling in front of the Chinese Dragon carry-out restaurant. I jumped out of the car and rushed over to give them all some daps and one arm hugs.

“Damn, Habib, what you been up to?” I asked Rico, who was rocking a Kufi and big Muslim beard off the Afghan scarf splayed nicely around his head and neck to go with his colorful T-shirt, blue jeans, and tan Timberlands.

“Shit, I just got out from up Allenwood. I’m tryna get these young niggas to go to the mosque with me,” he said with a smile.

Rico was the first guy I ever heard of from my end who was getting niggas’ cases thrown out from putting in work on the streets of Northwest. At the time, I didn’t know what he was doing until I heard he got arrested and convicted for obstruction of justice for snaking a government witness. The government was so mad at Rico that they made his defense lawyer testify against him in the case, which eventually got him back on appeal and eliminated an eighty year prison sentence he’d received.

“That’s what’s up. You cool though? I mean, you don’t need anything?”

“Allah is my provider, Habib. I put my faith in him to give me all that I want.”

“How long you been home?”

“About a good four months now, and it’s lovely, Habib…real lovely.” He smiled and passed me a little pamphlet.

I looked at it and read the words. All you need to know about Allah and Islam—the world’s fastest growing religion! “What am I s’posed to do with this, Ock? I love swine and everything,” I joked. “I don’t think I can ever stop eating them good chitlings and bacon, pussy, and all that other shit,” I commented and heard Lil Wee and Damian laughing.

“Astaghfirullah!” Rico shook his head in disgust. “Just read the damn pamphlet, you fake joker!”

“I got you, Slim.” I grinned and then went to holla at Lil Wee in private inside the carry-out. Once we got inside, I gave him $300 and told him to wire that to his father the first chance he got.

“He already straight. You know I be getting him.”

“A nigga never straight in them joints. It cost to live up there, and niggas love playing big when they go to the store and shit. You know how that shit go, so just send him the loot.”

“Yeah, a’ight.”

“Ay, why all the Feds on the block?”

“Some lil bitch-ass niggas came through the other night on some drive-by shit and a few of my men got crushed. Them peoples jive sweating the spot real heavy.”

“You know who did it?”

“Nope.” He shook his head, looking mad as hell.

“Was you out there?”

“Yeah, I got to working on everything, but the niggas got away while I was hitting off at ‘em.”

“Ay, be careful out here, Slim. I don’t want to be the one explaining to your father that you got caught slippin’”

“Never that, Unc. I’m on point twenty-four seven.”

“I told your ass about that Unc shit. It makes me feel old.”

“Nigga, you is old!” Lil Wee laughed, making me take a swing at him.

He ducked quickly and jumped into a boxing stance. I backed up and raised my hands in surrender, ‘cause I knew he’d whip my ass if I took it any further. Shorty was raised in boxing gym before he started playing in the streets.

“You got that one all day. Just holla at Pops for me and tell him I send my love and regards.”

“I gotcha, Unc!” he said just to fuck with me as we exited the carry-out.

“Yeah, a’ight. Keep on bullshittin’,” I retorted playfully while backing up to Swol’s car.

“Okay, Habib!” Rico called out. “And make sure you read that pamphlet, ‘cause I’ma ask you about it the next time I see you.”

“I’ma do that for you, Ock, but if it was anybody else, this joint woulda went in the trash soon as I left they ass.”

“Which one of the blessings of your lord will you deny?” he asked, which made me stop and look at him for a moment.

What did he mean by that? I hope he ain’t go to jail and get brainwashed on that Louis Farrakhan shit? Naw, Rico was a Muslim before he left the streets. I guess doing time in the Feds probably helped tighten up his faith and now he’s trying to do the right thing spiritually, I thought as I got back in Swol’s ride.

“Ay, Lil Wee, hit me on the hip if you need me to help you cook that little beef you got going on.” I laughed as Swol began pulling off.   

“I got this, Unc, and if I hafta call your old ass, then it’s time for me to get out the game!” I heard him yelling as Swol cruised down Rhode Island Avenue.

We still had about four more hours before the nightclub opened, so I told Swol to hit the mall so we could get fresh.

“What mall?” he asked.

“You make the call,” I said as he reached the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and Florida Avenue.

“Ay, Slim, hit Pentagon City,” Nu-Nu blurted. “I know this lil bitch who works out there.”

“Pentagon City it is then,” I said, leaning down in the passenger seat as the light changed green.

Nu-Nu rolled us a few spliffs of the exotic ‘dro and lit all four of them at the same time. He began passing them around and saying, “Puff puff pass, nigga! Whoever fucks the rotation up gotta smoke all them joints to the head!” He threw out the challenge, which made me sit up with the quickness.

“You ain’t said shit, young nigga. I smokes for a living,” Swol said and I just nodded in agreement.

“We gon’ see.” Nu-Nu smirked and then lit a Newport and added that into the rotation.

Fuck! I can’t stand no cigarettes, I thought, but I didn’t want to back down from Nu-Nu’s challenges, fearing that he might think less of me or try to tease me. Don’t ask why, but when it comes to challenges, guys always accept them, even when they know they have no chance of winning. Maybe it’s just pride and male ego.

While we got our puff-puff-pass on, I began thinking about a diplomatic way to approach Kisha so she wouldn’t feel suspicious or too disrespected when I addressed her about why she wanted me to get a living will and why somebody tried to kill me right after she made the suggestion.